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Gambian trip

Just come back from a great holiday in Gambia.
Never been before.
Most people seem to go earlier on.I was only able to go at Easter but there were still an incredible number of birds about.
Also because it obviously hadn't rained for so long the vegetation was dying making viewing easier.
A lot of visitors apparantly use guides but I like to find my own birds so I did my own thing and either went on foot or used the green taxis.
I didn't find the hassle off putting and the hasslers were soon fobbed off.
I'd read a lot about locals bothering tourists but it was nowhere near as bad as I expected.
It wasn't one of those 'see as many species in a week' holidays.I wanted to relax too and enjoy the Sheraton.Neverthless I found it difficult not to go wandering off all the time once my curiosity had got the better of me.
I have been birdwatching to places like Morrocco,Goa,North America,the Carribean and Israel but this was the best birdwatching place I have ever been.

Gambia - 4th - 11th April 2012

Participants: Mark Graham

My first visit to Gambia. It was brilliant and even better than I could have imagined. The scenery, birds and people were amazing.

Stayed at the Sheraton Brufut Heights from 4/4/12 to 11/4/12. Wonderful hotel with great all inclusive food and facilities. The advantage of its location is its proximity to the Tanji Nature reserve and Brufut Forest. Both are within walking distance the hotel. These areas extend for miles to the east and south of the hotel.

In addition the hotel grounds have two wet areas to the north and south of the reception building. Just beyond the immediate grounds there are extensive scrubby areas north and south easily accessed. The terns, gulls and waders from Tanji could often be seen from the hotel grounds or by walking south along the beach.

We used the green taxis which were conveniently parked in the car parking area. The drivers and cars were very good and the prices which included at least 2 hours waiting were reasonable. I would definitely recommend them.

I like to find my own birds and armed with the trusty Helm Guide I soon worked out the commoner species and found the less common ones too in the end. I didn’t use guides. I hoped to see my 600th life species by the end of the holiday.

I knew this was not the prime time to visit Gambia but I am restricted when I can take my holidays.
Nevertheless finding birds was never a problem.I could have happily spent all week around the hotel grounds,Tanji and Brufut Forest such was the volume and quality of birds just in those areas.
I was pleasantly surprised by how close Tanji and Brufut Forest were from the hotel.Both within walking distance and hassle free.To get to the Tanji reserve wooded area to the east of the main road you have to go past Ghana Town a settlement of Ghanaians.I read in a report that I would get the life pestered out of me there.Not so!Not one person stopped me or even acknowledged me.
After a while I realised I had made a good choice staying away from the tourist strip despite its proximity to birding hotspots there.
I took one look at the area when visiting Bijilo Forest and made a swift exit thanking my lucky stars we had paid a bit extra to stay at the wonderful Sheraton.The hotels ,surroundings the eroded'beach' adjacent to the Senegambia hotel were not in the same league as the Sheraton and the walk south to Tanji.
My best finds were the two for one lifers seen at the same moment at Paradise Beach - two Hueglin’s Masked Weavers and an African Paradise Flycatcher.Similary a I saw a Brubru and a Red Bellied Paradise Flycatcher together at Tanji.

The Sheraton
The grounds were full of birds. The most unusual was the Pygmy Kingfisher and Squacco Heron on the pool near the fitness club. This area was excellent as I also found a Green Sandpiper there as well as 4 Double Spurred Francolins, Singing Cisticola and a Zitting Cisticola.
The Squacco Heron and Green Sandpiper were there all week.The Green Sandpiper sometimes commuted to the stream at the foot of the cliffs just south of the hotel.This was also the place for a large Gull gathering with the odd Heron.

There were some Black-headed Plovers and Wattled Plovers in the dry scrubby area just north of the pool as well as a Black-crowned Tchagra and Chiffchaff in the wooded area near the telecommunication mast.

The wooded area to the east of the main road was easily accessed from the police checkpoint area just after Ghana Town. I walked from the hotel. I took an easterly path till I reached a walled area then followed the main sandy track south to a small mosque. There was a wonderful patch just past the mosque which was covered in birds. It was just where the path took a turn to the east.

I wouldn’t attempt to find this place alone! It was well hidden behind Brufut Village.I walked through the village and eventually found a helpful chap called Moses who led me to the promissed land aka Brufut Forest. Again a fantastic habitat.

There was a good view of a crocodile in the pool and we encountered some monkeys along the way.

Paradise Beach

Probably my favourite area. The beach just goes on for miles with just a few beach shacks along the way. The taxi driver dropped us off just north of Sanyang Point.We walked south the fishing centre and the lagoon.
I'm not sure if this lagoon is on the regular round of Gambian birdwatching trips.I wasn't even aware of it till I spotted it in the 'Rough Guide'.It was well worth a visit.

Apart from the usual species there were Hueglin’s Masked Weavers and an African Paradise Flycatcher in some shrubs just south of Sanyang Point. Along the way to the lagoon we saw a Black Shouldered Kite, African Palm Swift.Whimbrel, Ringed Plover, Bar Tail Godwit, Sanderling, Turnstone and Grey Plover.